"We have good teamwork," Sonoda said. "If I missed, he (Ishikawa) didn't, and when he missed, I didn't."

Jeev Milkha Singh recovered from a back injury for a 1-up win with new partner Kim Kyung-tae of South Korea over Swedish pair Henrik Stenson and Johan Edfors in the only match that went to the last hole.

On the 17th Edfors missed a short putt, squandering a chance to even the match.

Liang Wenchong of China and Noh Seung-yul of South Korea remained unbeaten to defeat Europe's playing captain Colin Montgomerie and Rhys Davies of Wales 5 and 4.